The present invention relates to couch""s in general. More specifically to a couch that utilizes a mattress for a seat with a upholstered back that folds up against a hinged top exposing the entire mattress forming a bed suitable for sleeping.
Previously, many types of convertible couches or sofa beds have been used in endeavoring to provide both a couch for sitting and a bed for sleeping, with minimal effort to make the changeover.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that possess the novelty of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
Markel et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,109 teaches a convertible sofa-bed that has a support frame and a seat support that is slideably connected to the frame by a roller and a back support which is pivotally connected to the seat support. The back support includes a hook apart which provides for connection of the back to the seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,573 issued to Laughlin et al. is for a sofa bed that is upholstered and includes a frame in sections. A platform is provided that is retractable with a hinge member attaching the front platform section to a back platform at an obtuse angle in one configuration and hinges flat in another. The front platform includes at least one support leg.
Wang in U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,804 discloses a sofa bed which includes a base frame serving as the seat and covers a space for keeping pillows etc. A second base frame connects to the first and pivots to the desired angle to serve as the back of the sofa and a pair of armrests are adjustably connected to the base frame at two opposite ends.
De Lorenzo in U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,857 teaches a fixed structure with three movable frames in engagement with each other in a consecutive rotatable manner and are shiftable between a closed and open position. A kinematic driving mechanism is interposed between the frames and synchronization means are adapted to move the frames in a single operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,928 issued to Piretti is for a sofa that may be converted into a bed by drawing the supporting structure until it reaches an elongated condition in which the mattress lies flat. In the retracted condition, for use as a sofa, the mattress is folded under the supporting structure.
In the past convertible couches or sofas include rather complex frames and movable structure to permit a rather thin mattress to be folded under the seat of the couch with the back swinging upwardly out of the way and the mattress unfolded away from the couch to form the bed. Many different embodiments of this basic piece of furniture have been developed and are very common in today""s marketplace. While economies of number have brought this type of product within the reach of most, the fact that the structure is complicated, in that a large number of frame parts are required, increases the cost above that of a traditional sofa or couch. It is therefore a primary object of the invention to employ a conventional single bed mattress, with upholstery material outer covering, and use the front portion for the seat of the couch with a back and top hinged to fold in accordion fashion out of the way exposing the entire mattress when used as a bed.
This permits an important object of the invention to be realized as the cost of an elaborate frame that pivots the seat flat into a bed is eliminated and is replaced with two simple inexpensive piano hinges which simplify the structure and allow the overall couch construction to be uncomplicated and cost effective.
Another object of the invention is that a conventional single bed mattress is used for both the seat and the bed which is comfortable in both functions, as the mattress includes coil springs and has been designed basically for sleeping therefore no minimizing of size or comfort has been necessary that would degrade its utility in either mode.
An important object of the invention is in the second embodiment wherein the mattress instead of being discrete is in two separate sections each having the same overall size as a twin bed mattress except they are connected together on one edge. When the mattress is folded over on top of each other they form the seat of the couch and when rotated upward and spread out flat they become a king size bed supported by a portable frame that is stored under the couch.
Still another object of the invention is that it is easy to operate as the back is simply raised up by hand and the top folds against the wall behind or is stopped by the structure of the frame. No latch or complicated mechanism is required as the top and back are over the center of gravity or rest upon rigid structure.
Yet another object of the invention is that the sofa may be dissembled by removing the longitudinal support from each end with the mattress support structure and mattress separated while the top and back are still connected together with the hinges. Reassembly is easy to accomplish and storage and transportation is enhanced by the having only flat components to handle consuming considerably less space than a common sofa or couch.
A further object of the invention is that the style of the couch may be easily altered and still function in the same manner, as an example the ends may be open exposing the structural wood or may be enclosed with fabric material in a variety of shapes to accommodate the style that is most desired.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.